Ring.



No. 703,493..y

' 1 F. R. STAFFORD.

(Ilo Model.)

1-v MKM 'Flan/5; 5555.

' UNITED f STATES PATENT OFFICE.'

FRANK R. STAFFORD, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSICNOR To STAFFORD &RUSSELL MANUFACTURINGr COMPANY, OF SACO, MAINE,

A CORPORATION OFIMAINE.

RINO.

o SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No.703,493, dated July 1,1902.

I Application filed October 7,1901. Serial No. 77,898. (No model.)

gaging the stock for the ringf'blank and for holding the same while itis out by a suitable plunger into thedesired lengths. Fig. 2 is a topplan view of one of the ring-blanks from which myimproved ring is made.Fig. 3 is 1 an edge or side viewof the same. Fig. 4 is a View invertical section of thedraw-plate and plungers, together with the stocktherein undergoing the drawing operation. Fig. 5 shows in enlargedcentral longitudinal section (on the minor axis) the cupped-upring-blank produced by the operation illustrated in Fig. 4 at a.ti1nejust ybefore the bottom portion thereof has-been perforated. Fig. 6 is atop plan viewof the blank after it hasbeen drawn and perforated by theoperation illustrated in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is an end View of the same. Fig.8 is a top plan view ofthe Central piece which has been removed from thering-blank by the perforating operation Aillustrated in Fig. 4. Fig. l9is an'end view of the same. Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the drawn andperforated blank shown in Fig. 6 aftergit has been opened out by aproper tool into a circular form. Fig.' 11 is an enlarged view of saidring as seen on lineas of Fig. 1 0. Fig.

12 shows in diametrical section the blanki illustrated in' Fig. 1'1after thesame has been formed with an-annular groove on each of itsedges` and the outersurface has been ConveXed. Fig. 13 is a diametricalsection :of the grooved and convexed ring shown in Fig. 12 after thesides of the grooves have been swaged into Contact. Fig. 14 is anenlarged sectional view illustrating the closure of the groove. Fig. 15is a diametrical sectional view of a flat band-ring formed by die actionfrom the convex ring illustrated in Figs. 13

5o and 14. Fig. 16 shows in diametrical section -plates longer thantheinterior tube of' base metal and extending parallel with each other.Fig. 17y is the same as Fig. 16, except that it shows the edges oftheouter and inner gold plates as turned inwardly.

In the drawings, Figs. 5 and 11 to 17, inclusive, are much enlarged inorder to show more Clearly the construction of my improved ring.

My invention is a jewelers finding for the manufacture of a filled goldring; and it consists of the combination of a tube of base metal havingan annular V-shaped groove in each of its ends, a tube of precious metalon the outside of the base-metal tube'and united thereto, and a tubeofprecious metal on the inside of the base-metal tube and unitedthereto, both ofy said tubes of precious metal vbeing longer than saidbase-metal tube and projecting beyond its ends.

In the drawings, A is a steel bar on the edges of which on the top aretwo guideplates B B, held in place by screws, as shown.

`C is a gage-plate having a slot at one end and a'h'alf-round seat atthe other end. The gage-plate C is mounted upon the top of the bar A andis movable thereon, so that the end which has the half-round seat can bebrought to any line of the index D, (on the top of said bar,) and whenthe gage-plate O has been so adjusted in Aposition it is held in placeby means of the thumb-screw E, which passes through'said slot ofthegage-plate C into the bar A, all-as shown `in Fig. 1.-

The stock from which Inyimproved ring is made `is in the form of a barF, having a central longitudinal layer of composition or base Inetal,with an outer layer or plate of 'gold on each of the opposite sides ofsaid central layer and unitedthereto, as usual, by solder, one of saidgold plates being thicker than the other.

The stock has a half-round forward end, as' seen in top plan in Fig. 1,and is inserted between the guide-plates B B and pushed along upon thebar A until said half-round forward end is seated in the concavity ofthe gageplate O. To determine the precise length of the blank or sectionto be out from said strip IOO of stock, the inner edge ot the gage-plateC is moved to the proper line on the index D and is held in suchposition by the thumbscrew E. A plunger (not shown) descends with powervertically upon said strip of stock and cuts ott a ring-blank G, formingthe inner end ot the blank G in a half-round shape and at the same timeforming the forward end ofthe strip of stock in a half-round shape, asillustrated in Fig. 1, the openings a a in said figure indicating Wherethe said plunger has operated and removed portions of the stock. Thering-blank G so formed and cut oit is shown in top plan in Fig. 2 and inside elevation in Fig. 3, in the latter of which the blank is seen to bemade up of a central strip or layer b of base metal or composition, theupper layer c ot' gold plate and the lower layer d ot gold platethinner, however, than the plate c. This blank G is next operated uponas illustrated in Fig. 4. A draw-plate H has an aperture e throughit,with an upwardly-Haring mouth. This aperture, as seen from above, has anarrow oblong shape, with rounded ends. The ring-blank G is laidcentrally upon the draw-plate H,with the thin gold plate d uppermost,the major axis of said oblong blank coinciding with the major axis ofsaid aperture and the minor axis of said blank coinciding with the minoraxis of said aperture. A plunger J, moved by power, descends upon theblank G and crowds it down into the aperture c of the draw-plate H untilthe blank G is sufficiently cupped and drawn thereby and until its bentbottom portion is seated upon the end of the plunger I. The plunger Ihas its lower end I concentrically enlarged` andthe lower extremity ofsaid end I is firmly held against downward movement or displacement byany suitable means. The plunger I and its end I are centrally,longitudinally, and continuously perforated, as seen at f, Fig. 4, theshape and relative size of said perforations being substantially asshown in Fig. 8. The plunger Iis of a shape and size to fit loosely inthe aperture c of the draw-plate II. Then continuing descent andpressure of the plunger .I perforates the bottom of the cupped blank G,removing a piece, (shown at K in Figs. 8 and 9,) which removed piece Kso perforated or punched out is forced down into the openingfof theplunger I I and is waste, gradually moved along by the succeedingoperations, and passing through said openingf to the floor or into aproper receptacle. The plunger I I is then moved upward, and its upperend forces the drawn blank out through the flaring mouth of the aperturec of the draw-plate H.

The vertical dotted lines in Fig. 5 indicate the poriton of the cuppedblank which is removed, constituting the piece K of Figs. 8 and 9. Thehorizontal dotted line in said figure indicates where said cupped andperforated blank is cut transversely by a saw or other proper tool orinstrument. Said Fig. 5 is made on an enlarged scale in order moreplainly to show the cupping and drawing ef fect upon the blank caused bythe operation illustrated in Fig. t and how the bottom of the cup isdisposed of. The punched or perforated blank so produced is shown at Gin Figs. G and 7, where it is seen that said blank is oblong in shape,with rounded ends and with a narrow oblong opening g', said openingbeing caused by the removal of the piece K from the blank G, as alreadyexplained. The next operation is to open said oblong aperture by amandrel or other suitable means into the circular ring form G with thecentral circular aperture g", as seen in Fig. 10.

In Fig. 11 I show on an enlarged scale the ring after it has been shapedinto a true circle, said Fig. 11 being a sectional view on line .fr ofFig. 10. Here is seen the basemetal central portion b, the outer thicklayer or covering of gold-plate c, and the inner thin layer or coveringof gold-plate d.

The next operation is to form from the ring G" the ring G'", (shown inFig. 12,) and which constitutes my present invention. It is here seenthat an annular V-shaped groove or channel has been formed (by millingor otherwise) in both the ends of the base-metal portion b, as shown at7L, and that the edges ot the gold plates c and d have been beveled. Theouter surface ofthe gold-plate may be convexed, as at c', by turning orin any suitable manner.

In Fig. 16 I show how the base-metal portion b may be cut down, so as toleave the gold plates c and d free from all base metal and extendingparallel to each other on both edges of the ring. In Fig. 17 I show howthese parallel projecting flanges of the gold plates c and (l may bebent inwardly.

The article hereinbefore described and which constitutes my presentinvention is a jewelers finding, useful for the manufacture of filledgold-plated rings and for like purposes.

The manner in which these grooVed-edged rings may be made into filledgold-plated rings is shown in Figs. 13, 14, and 15. In Figs. 13 and 14is illustrated the result of an operation which is preferably done byrolling, (but which may be done by swaging, burnishing, or othersuitable methods,) whereby the sides of the V-shaped annular grooves hare brought into contact, so that said sides of the grooves meet in aline h, the filling ot base metal is convexed, as seen at b', and thegoldplate c is transversely stretched and still further convexed, asseen at c. In Fig. 15 is illustrated the result of an operationsimilarly performed, whereby the ring Gi" (shown in Figs. 13 and 14) isformed into a gold-plated filled band-ring, (shown in Fig. 15 as G",)Where it is seen that the gold-plate c" of the ring Giv has been shapedwith square corners and the filling of base metal has been changed to acorresponding shape b, the closure of the sides of the grooves htogether being indicated by the lines h.

The inward bending of the flanges of the IIO gold plates (illustratedinFig. 17) is to enable the formation of an inwardly-rolled seam upon eachedge of theiinished gold-plated ringwhen the annular channels or groovesare closed and the gold plates c and CZ have been brought into contactand rolled together.

It is evident that bracelets, lockets, watchcases, spoons,and otherarticles of gold-plated or silver-plated Ware may be formed in likemanner from intermediate blank forms consisting (as inthe case ofgold-plated fingerrings hereinbefore described) of an interior bodyportion of base metal cut in the shape of the article and provided witha channel or groove upon each of its edges, a plate of precious metalunited thereto on one side of,

said base-metal portion, and a plate of precious metal united to theopposite side of said base-metal portion, said plates extending somewhatbeyond the edges of the basemetal portion. The method of giving acontinuous plating of precious metal on the edges of such articles,which is hereinbefore described as applied to the manufacture ofgold-plated iingerrings, Would be within the scope of my presentinvention.

The apparatus shown in Fig. l and the method herein described andillustrated in Fig. 4 are not, however, essential to my invention, butare specified simply as the best means known to me to accomplish theresult in forming finger-rings but it is evident that Y, equally goodresults may be obtained by using the stock in the form of a tube, or ifother articles than finger-rings are to be. made containing my inventionthe blanks may be formed by dies or by other well-known means. Theessential feature of my invention is the channeling or groovin g of thebase-metal portion of the article on the outer edges thereof and thecovering of the upper and under surfaces of the base-metal portion withgold or silver plates projecting beyond the edges of the base metal forthe purpose of developing said projecting edges of precious metal intothe side surfaces of a plated article of manufacture.

As indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 16, the base-metal body portionmay be made in two pieces, each having beveled edges, which orchannel-,in each of its ends, an outer tubeV of precious. metal unitedto said base-metal tube on the outer surface of the base-metal tubeandhaving beveled edges and an inner tube of precious metal united tothebasemetal tube on the inner surface of the base- `metal tube andhavingbeveled edges, substantially as set forth.

2. The improved jewelers finding for ring,

manufacture herein described,l consisting of a tube of base metal havingan annular groove or channelfin each of its ends, an outer tube ofprecious metal united to said base-metal tube on the outer surface ofthe base-metal tube, an inner tube of precious metal united to saidbase-metal tube on the innersurface of the base-metal tube each of saidtubes of precious metal exceeding the base-metaltube Vin length,substantially as specified;

o. The improved jewelers'iinding for ring manufacture herein described,consisting of a tube of base metal having an annular groove or channelin each of its ends, an outer tube of precious metal united to thebase-metal tube on the outer surface of the base-metal tube and having aconvexed outery surface and beveled ends and an 'inner tube of pre*cious metal united to the base-metal tube on the inner surface of thebase-metal tube andl having beveled ends, substantially as speci-v fied.

In testimony whereof I affix my'signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK R. STAFFORD.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH R. BULLooK, Jr., WARREN R. PERCE.

